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Mackay Area Fish Stocking Association hatchery coordinator Brandon Ford helps Mackay North State High School students prepare their barramundi for tagging and release into the Goose ponds. Photo Supplied: Mackay North State High School.
Year 10 Agricultural students from Mackay North State High School have raised and released 13 barramundis into the Goose ponds, making your next catch a possible close friend of a Mackay Student.
Under the supervision of two classes and the help of Mackay Area Fish Stocking Association, the fish have tripled in length in six months, growing from about 100mm to 300mm.
The barramundi growth was comparable to rates achieved on commercial fish farms, shared Mackay Area Fish Stocking Association hatchery coordinator Brandon Ford.
“We’re releasing fish so these kids and their kids will have fish in the future to go fishing for,” Brandon said.
The association helped the school create perfect growing conditions, whilst Mr. Ford sourced fish from a local barra farm.
Cleaning filters, checking pumps and monitoring water levels are all part of the students' regular work to keep the fish healthy, according to science teacher Kelly Dunne.
“They are the first ones to notice if there is anything amiss,” she said.
The students were fascinated by the Barramundi; observing them in class gave them new insights into the fish.
For student Julian, feeding time revealed a measure of how much the fish had changed.
“They’ve definitely gotten bigger and a lot feistier,” he said, adding that he had been fascinated to learn during the unit that barramundi could change their sex.
“They actually don’t turn into a female until they hit a certain size or a certain age,” he said.
The change generally happens when barramundi reaches about 85–100cm long. While they can live in freshwater, they need saltwater to breed.
Suntag tags will help track their growth and movements, with Mr. Ford saying the barra could eventually reach saltwater through connected waterways, particularly during floods.
MAFSA’s volunteers are supported by the school's efforts. MAFSA raises thousands of barramundis and sooty grunters for local waterways, including Kinchant, Teemburra and Eungella dams.
MAFSA’s scheme has had great results, with one barramundi being released at Platypus Beach in Mirani and then being recorded in the Fitzroy River seven years later, by which time it had grown to about 1.2m.
Anglers who report a tagged catch to Suntag can receive a certificate showing when and where the fish was tagged, how much it has grown and how far it has travelled.
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